Note: Yes, same-sex marriage is performed in most branches of Judaism. Israel recognizes same-sex marriages performed elsewhere. Same-sex weddings are not performed in Israel, but neither are Reform weddings.

Here’s the debate that’s going on. Conservative Judaism wants the same-sex marriage ceremony to be as close to the traditional ceremony as possible. They argue that if the ceremony is different, then the marriage is different. If the marriage is different, then it isn’t kiddushin, or holy. Separate isn’t equal, they argue.

But in the traditional marriage ceremony as it’s existed since Biblical times, the husband is taking ownership of the wife. How would that work in a same-sex relationship? Who would buy whom? Would a dowry be paid?

So some who are coming up with the new ceremony want to update the vows to emphasize the loving relationship and partnership and support the couple gives each other.

And here’s where Maggie Gallagher, the American Family Association and all their right-wing buddies are completely right. Same-sex marriage is destroying traditional marriage as it’s existed since Biblical times.

In Judaism, rabbis are looking at those traditional marriage vows and throwing them out. Women don’t want to be purchased and men don’t want to own them and rabbis don’t want to be involved in transferring property rights.

But the Conservative Movement is right that the same-sex wedding ceremony needs to be as close to the opposite-sex wedding ceremony because separate isn’t equal. In the end, the Conservative wedding for opposite sex couples will change to reflect the equality of a same-sex marriage.

So once again, gays and lesbians are making the world a better place and to heterosexuals, we say, you’re welcome.

As we noted earlier, a U.S. House subcommittee held a pointless hearing this morning on “defending marriage.” The Wonk Room reports:

This morning’s “defending marriage” hearing held by the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on the Constitution invited anti-LGBT witnesses Maggie Gallagher of the National Organization for Marriage and Edward Whelan of the Ethics and Public Policy Center to reinforce stigma against gays and lesbians. Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX) and subcommittee Chairman Trent Franks (R-AZ) also used the hearing to attack the White House.

2. The Delaware House on Thursday voted 26-15 to approve a measure that would legalize civil unions. The bill, which already cleared the Senate, now goes to Gov. Jack Markell, who has said he will sign it. Delaware would be the eighth state to allow civil unions or domestic partnerships.

In this video clip from CSPAN’s “Washington Journal,” National Organization for Marriage’s Maggie Gallagher defends plans for the House of Representatives to take time away from balancing the budget and keeping the government operational to defend the Defense of Marriage Act in court, while Brian Moulton, chief legislative counsel for Human Rights Campaign, defends President Obama’s decision NOT to defend DOMA in court.

Back in 2009, when Democrats controlled the New Hampshire Legislature, lawmakers there voted to give legal recognition to same-sex marriages. Gov. John Lynch signed the legislation into law.

Now, two years later, Republicans control the Legislature in New Hampshire, and are considering a bill to repeal marriage equality in the state. On Thursday, the House of Representatives held a public hearing to get citizens’ input on the repeal effort. More than 500 people were there to oppose repeal while less than 50 showed up to support repeal.

While the supporters were far fewer in number, their arguments are getting a lot of attention in the press today — because those arguments were so totally asinine.

One guy claimed that allowing legal same-sex marriage would open the door to polygamy and Sharia (Islamic religious) law in the U.S. Rep. Alfred Baldasaro claimed that New Hampshire would end up like Canada, which legalized same-sex marriage several years ago and now “they’re fighting in the courts to get three husbands, three wives.”

And Sen. Fenton Groen brought up the age-old indoctrinating-the-children and “health risk” bugaboos: “[Homosexuality] will significantly increase their risk of serious disease and can be expected to significantly shorten their lives.”

The National Organization for Marriage’s Maggie Gallagher was there, of course, spouting her usual nonsense about marriage being specifically about raising children and how same-sex marriage would infringe on religious freedom.

Just so you know, John Lynch is still governor of New Hampshire, and he has said if the repeal bill is passed by the Legislature, he will veto it, although Republicans have a supermajority in both legislative houses and could override a veto. On the other hand, the House committee considering the repeal measure is expected to vote to “retain” it, which means hold the bill over until the next legislative session (which starts next January) and not vote on it this time around.

Maggie Gallagher has taken her hate on the road with the National Organization for Marriage’s “One Man, One Woman” bus tour this summer. But so far, it doesn’t seem to be generating much interest — at least not from the anti-gay-marriage movement. LGBT rights advocates do seem to be turning out in force to protest the tour most everywhere it stops.

For example, Bil Browning over at The Bilerico Project reports that when NOM stopped in Indianapolis for a rally on Monday, July 26, there were only about 40 anti-gay-marriage folks there. And at least a quarter of those were tour staff members.

Those who showed up to protest the NOM’ers, on the other hand, numbered about 250, Browning said.

But here is the guy at the Indianapolis rally who’s getting the most attention: Larry Adams, who was holding a sign quoting verses in Leviticus saying that any man who has sex with another man should be put to death, and including a drawing of two nooses.

A young woman with the Courage Campaign interviews Adams on camera, posted below, and you can watch the video and see for yourself what he has to say. You’ll also notice that even though Adams is there in support of NOM, NOM really isn’t interested in having his support. At least not publicly.

At least three people interrupt the interview to try and either stop it altogether or to at least distance NOM from Adams and his message. One of the NOM guys tells Adams “we don’t want anything inflammatory” and “we’re here in love.” Adams assures him that he is on NOM’s side.

But at the same time, NOM is careful not to try and run off the Courage Campaign tour trackers. They obviously don’t want a repeat of what happened at the NOM tour stop in Maryland, where NOM official Brian Brown got police to remove a videographer from the Courage Campaign, threatening to have the cameraman arrested if he didn’t leave.

Of course, instead of Larry Adams and his signs advocating murder, the problem at the Maryland rally was the REALLY small crowd. Guess Brown didn’t want anybody documenting just how small the crowd was.

You can read about that incident and see video footage and photos here.

OK, now watch this video from NOM’s site, with what they call “truly shocking” footage of aggressive LGBT protestors “storming” their podium and bullying and intimidating a woman nursing her baby.

OK, I did see the one guy “storming” the podium. One guy. And I did see the nursing mother surrounded by her other children sitting at the back of the rally. But I never saw anybody messing with her. What was VERY obvious was the fact that the LGBT civil rights supporters FAR outweighed the NOM ralliers. Even in NOM’s own video.

Maggie Gallagher

Maggie Gallagher, president and chief bigot of the National Organization for Marriage, announced her resignation. She has headed the hate group for three years.

The group is directly responsible for the misleading advertising and scare tactics that defeated same-sex marriage passed by the legislatures in Maine and California.

Her latest target is New Hampshire. Marriage equality became law this year after a battle with their Republican governor, John Lynch, last summer. The law passed after the governor insisted on “protections” for religions and the threat of passing despite a veto.

Lauren Ashley

According to Fox News (so you know it HAS to be true), Lauren Ashley, Miss Beverly Hills 2010, has been speaking out against same-sex marriage.

The Beverly Hills City council has condemned her remarks and said that she does not represent the city.

The Donald Trump-owned Miss USA pageant interviews contestants and the winners can decide which city they want to represent. Ashley is from Pasedena, Calif.

Maggie Gallagher, the divorced pro-marriage-for-straight-people-only founder of National Organization for Marriage, called on Beverly Hills to show tolerance for people who think differently from them. Poor Miss Ashley. She’s being discriminated against just because she thinks other people should be discriminated against.

Carrie Prejean is last year’s Miss California who stirred up controversy by answering that she was against same-sex marriage at the Miss USA pageant last year. She has propelled that statement into a career as a religious martyr.

And OK, gotta say it. She’s trying to be Miss USA. Is it me, or is that skanky skirt she’s wearing in the pic I found just a little too tight and little too short? Or is this what straight pigs like Donald Trump think is hot? No, really, that’s question. I really, really don’t know.mobile game onlineопределение позиции сайта в поисковике